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Human trafficking charges laid against Quebec man in B.C., RCMP say

KELOWNA — Police in Montreal have arrested a 36-year-old man for Mounties in Kelowna, B.C., on multiple charges of human trafficking.
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The RCMP logo outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

KELOWNA — Police in Montreal have arrested a 36-year-old man for Mounties in Kelowna, B.C., on multiple charges of human trafficking. 

RCMP say in a statement that their sex crimes unit began an investigation in 2021 and collected evidence leading to the arrest of Stanley Jean-Baptiste. 

Cpl. Tim Russell with the Kelowna RCMP's vulnerable persons unit says they know the city is part of a circuit used by traffickers who exploit people for sexual purposes.

Police say they have collaborated with the city, the Kelowna airport and Kelowna Child Advocacy Centre on an awareness campaign aimed at preventing human trafficking and youth sexual exploitation. 

The RCMP says Jean-Baptiste was arrested with the help of police in Montreal on Dec. 8. 

He is in custody and is scheduled to be escorted back to Kelowna to face the charges. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2023. 

The Canadian Press